Lollapalooza Estimated Cleanup Costs Down From 2011

About 300,000 people attended this year's Lollapalooza, but early estimates of damages to Grant Park indicate fest-goers were kinder to park grounds than in 2011.
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DNAinfo/Justin Barbin

STREETERVILLE — The price tag to clean up Grant Park after Lollapalooza is significantly lower than 2011's mud-filled restoration, the Chicago Park District announced Wednesday.

The Park District estimated that C3 Presents, the Texas-based organizer of the three-day annual music festival, will have to pay $210,000 to $220,000 to clean up Grant Park.

The number is about what Grant Park Conservancy head Bob O'Neillestimated it would cost to clean up the area, which faced some rain on the first day of the fest but was fairly dry otherwise.

Restoration efforts would likely include the grass, hedges and trees that were damaged or trampled by those who attended the fest, said O'Neill, who did a walk-through of the park Monday morning after Lollapalooza wrapped.

The Park District also predicted the revenue it would receive from the festival this year would be about $2.7 million.

Each year, C3 Presents also gives the Chicago Park District a flat $1.5 million "guaranteed payment," plus other fees and reimbursements that the Park District can use at its discretion.

Even with a estimated 300,000 people attending the music festival from Aug. 2 through Aug. 4, the cost is a decrease from 2011's whopping $800,000 bill to clean up the muddy mush that was the park after storms.

Restoration began earlier this week, C3 said in a news release, and some areas of the park will be cordoned off for as long as two months, though the fest promoter said the Park District is working to make sure scheduled activities won't be interrupted by the cleanup.